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RouteNote is a UK-based digital music distribution company that helps independent artists, musicians and record labels release and monetize their music through online streaming services, digital stores and social media platforms. Rather than being a record label, RouteNote acts as an intermediary between music creators and digital music platforms, handling the distribution of releases and collecting royalties generated from streams and downloads.

The company was founded in 2007 in Cornwall, England, originally growing out of Black and White Recording Studio in Redruth. Its founders developed RouteNote in response to the growing importance of digital music and the difficulties independent artists faced when trying to reach audiences without the backing of a traditional record label. The company has since developed into an international music distribution service used by artists and labels around the world.

RouteNote provides digital music distribution, music publishing, licensing and content monetization services. Artists can upload their releases to the platform, provide the required metadata and artwork, select the stores and services where they want their music available, and submit the release for moderation. Once approved, RouteNote delivers the music to the selected platforms. Its distribution network includes major services such as Spotify, Apple Music and Amazon Music, as well as platforms including TikTok, Facebook, Instagram and SoundCloud. RouteNote also offers YouTube Content ID monetization, allowing eligible music to generate revenue when it is used in videos.

How to Sign up for RouteNote

Getting started with RouteNote is relatively straightforward, and creating an account is free. From the RouteNote website, you simply select Get Started and provide the information requested during registration. There are no fees for creating the account, and you do not need to subscribe to a paid plan before uploading music: RouteNote - Free Music Distribution

Once your account has been created, you can access the distribution dashboard and start preparing your first release. RouteNote uses the same basic account structure for independent artists and labels, so you can manage your releases and catalogue from the same dashboard regardless of whether you are releasing music as an individual artist or on behalf of a label.

Before distributing a release, however, you need to make sure that you have the necessary rights to the music. RouteNote requires users to confirm that they own the relevant intellectual property rights in the tracks and their components. The company does not take ownership of your music; artists and labels retain 100% ownership and rights, while RouteNote receives the rights necessary to distribute the content on their behalf.

After registering, the next step is to create a release from the Distribution section of the dashboard. RouteNote allows you to leave the UPC field empty if you do not already have one, in which case the platform generates a UPC for you free of charge. You then enter the release title and begin adding the information required for distribution.

How does RouteNote work?

RouteNote works as a digital music distributor between artists or labels and the online stores and streaming services where listeners consume music. Instead of uploading the same release individually to Spotify, Apple Music, YouTube Music, Amazon Music, TikTok and other services, you can submit it through RouteNote and select the stores and territories where you want it distributed.

Creating a release involves four main areas: Album Details, Add Audio, Add Artwork and Manage Stores. The Album Details section contains metadata such as the artist name, release title, genre, language and release date. You then upload the actual audio files and provide the required track information, followed by the cover artwork. Finally, you choose the stores and streaming services that should receive the release.

Once the release has been completed, you submit it for moderation. RouteNote checks the release against the requirements of its partner stores before sending it to the selected services. This moderation stage is particularly important because RouteNote needs to verify that the content can legally and technically be distributed.

If your release is approved, it is delivered to the selected stores. Unless a specific Sales Start Date has been set, releases generally begin appearing in stores around 7–14 days after approval, although individual stores may process them faster.

The platform also supports catalogue management and additional features such as revenue sharing. For example, if several artists or collaborators are involved in a release, RouteNote allows royalties to be divided between multiple RouteNote accounts according to agreed percentages.

How to Make Money with RouteNote

The main way to make money with RouteNote is by distributing music to digital services and receiving the royalties generated when people stream or download your releases. RouteNote collects the revenue from its partner services and makes the corresponding earnings available through your account.

This means that RouteNote itself does not pay a fixed amount for every stream. The amount generated by your music depends on the service, territory, type of usage and the revenue generated by the particular platform. Your RouteNote earnings therefore fluctuate according to how and where your music is consumed.

One of the major advantages of the service is the number of outlets available. RouteNote distributes music to major streaming and digital music platforms, including Spotify, Apple Music, YouTube Music, Amazon Music, Deezer and TIDAL, as well as social and content platforms such as TikTok, Facebook, Instagram and SoundCloud. RouteNote states that there are no restrictions on store selection between its Free and Premium distribution models.

YouTube Content ID and Social Platforms

There is also an additional way to monetize your music through YouTube Content ID. When an eligible release is submitted to YouTube Content ID, RouteNote can identify videos using your audio and claim the content on your behalf, allowing the associated usage to generate revenue.

This can be particularly useful when other people use your music in their YouTube videos. However, not every release is eligible for Content Recognition services. RouteNote has additional requirements for YouTube Content ID, TikTok, Facebook and Instagram because these platforms use audio-recognition systems. For example, releases containing non-exclusive samples, certain remixes, sound-alikes, karaoke material and several other types of content may be excluded from these services.

TikTok can also generate revenue when your distributed music is used in videos. RouteNote states that earnings are based on the use of the music in videos rather than simply the number of views those videos receive.

Publishing and other Royalties

RouteNote also offers publishing services that go beyond the master recording royalties generated through ordinary distribution. Its publishing service can collect certain compositional royalties, including performance, mechanical and YouTube Micro Synchronization royalties, as well as neighbouring rights for eligible songwriters.

This distinction is important because a recorded song can generate different types of royalties. Distribution primarily deals with the recording, while publishing concerns the underlying musical composition. Artists who write their own music may therefore have additional opportunities to monetize their work beyond the royalties generated by streams of the recording itself.

RouteNote Free vs. Premium

One of RouteNote's most notable features is its choice between Free and Premium distribution. Both options allow you to distribute your music to the same stores, and RouteNote says that neither plan imposes restrictions on the stores you can select. The fundamental difference is how the revenue is divided and whether you pay an upfront fee for the release.

With Free distribution, there is no upfront distribution fee and you keep 85% of the net revenue RouteNote receives from your music. This makes the option particularly interesting for artists who are starting out or who do not want to spend money before knowing how well a release will perform.

The Premium option allows you to keep 100% of your streaming and download revenue, but it requires a payment for the release. Current Premium prices are $10 for a single, $20 for an EP of 2–6 tracks, $30 for an album of 7–18 tracks and $45 for an extended album of 19 or more tracks. RouteNote also currently charges a $9.99 annual renewal fee per release for storage, administration and maintenance.

An important point is that Premium is selected on a release basis rather than forcing you to choose one model for your entire account. You can therefore use Free distribution for some releases and Premium for others. RouteNote also allows a Free release to be upgraded to Premium later.

Premium also provides additional analytics through RouteNote Trends, including a longer period of data and a fan-location map. However, RouteNote states that there are no restrictions on store selection between the two distribution models, and services such as YouTube Content ID, Facebook Recognition and SoundCloud monetization do not require a separate distribution charge.

For an artist just starting out, Free distribution therefore provides a way to release music without an initial financial commitment. Premium may become more interesting once a release is generating enough revenue for keeping the additional 15% to outweigh the distribution and renewal costs.

RouteNote Create

RouteNote Create is a separate service aimed at music producers and creators who need samples, sounds and beats for their productions. Rather than being another distribution plan, Create is essentially a sample and sound subscription service designed to provide original audio material that can be used in music projects.

The service offers monthly subscriptions starting at $2.99, with different plans providing different numbers of credits. RouteNote's current information lists plans ranging from the Hobbyist package with 100 credits per month to the Boss package with 2,000 credits. Credits can be used to obtain individual samples or larger sound packs. If you are interested on this service, you can sign up via this link and get a 10% discount: RouteNote Create - Royalty Free Sounds & Samples

One of the potentially useful features for RouteNote users is the licensing system. RouteNote says that purchased samples and packs are yours to keep and use in your tracks even if you later cancel your subscription. Each purchase also comes with a licence ID that can be supplied to RouteNote's moderation team when necessary to demonstrate that you have the appropriate rights to use the material.

Create also offers beats that can be purchased separately. Users can search for beats by genre, preview them and purchase those they want to use. After payment, the beat and its licence can be downloaded from the account's My Sounds section.

This is relevant to RouteNote distribution because using samples without the appropriate rights can create problems during moderation, particularly with Content Recognition services. RouteNote specifically warns that non-exclusive samples and other material that could appear in multiple releases may make a track ineligible for YouTube Content ID, TikTok, Facebook and Instagram.

Is RouteNote Legit?

RouteNote is a legit platform that has been operating as a digital music distributor since 2007, when the company was established in Cornwall, UK. Its own corporate history describes the service as having been created to help independent artists distribute their music internationally. RouteNote also states that it has grown into a large digital distribution business serving artists and labels worldwide.

The company is operated by RouteNote Limited, a UK limited company registered in England and Wales. Its registered office is in Truro, Cornwall, and its terms and conditions state that the company's agreements are governed by the law of England and Wales.

From an artist's perspective, one of the most important points is that RouteNote does not take ownership of the music uploaded to the platform. Its support documentation states that artists and labels retain 100% ownership and rights, while RouteNote obtains the rights required to distribute the content on their behalf. The relationship is also non-exclusive, meaning artists can subsequently work with a record label or use other services, subject to avoiding conflicting distribution of the same release to the same stores.

How to Withdraw your RouteNote Earnings

Once your music has generated royalties, RouteNote pays artists through PayPal or bank transfer, with bank-transfer payments also available through Payoneer. Payment details can be added or updated from the Payment Profile section of the RouteNote account.

The current minimum payout threshold is $50. Payments are automatically processed between the 15th and 20th of each month, provided that your account has reached the threshold and a valid payment method has been connected.

There is also a reporting delay because royalties from streaming services are not available immediately. RouteNote explains that statistics and earnings are updated approximately 45 days after the month in which they were generated. For example, earnings generated in January may appear in the account around March 15.

The payment system therefore follows the normal pattern of digital music distribution: streams and downloads generate royalties first, the relevant platforms report those earnings to the distributor later, and RouteNote subsequently makes the funds available for payout once the account reaches the required threshold. This means that artists should not expect newly generated streams to become immediately withdrawable cash.

RouteNote Summary

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